Main author

European Union Timber Regulation

Timber is often heralded as a sustainable building material as it absorbs carbon when it grows, effectively acting as a carbon sink. However, improperly managed tree felling can lead to land degradation, pollution of watercourses, a loss of biodiversity and displaced populations.

In 2011, EU imports of solid timber and timberproducts amounted to £12billion [1] with 82% (by value) from high risk countries [2]. The UK is actually the largest importer from countries defined as high risk, followed by Germany and France. Fortunately not all timber coming from these countries is necessarily illegal, but it does highlight the UK's challenging position.

The European Union Timber Regulation (EUTR) came into force in March 2013, with a remit to prevent illegal timberproducts entering the EU. The regulatory requirements vary depending on whether you are an operator or a trader:

The operators, defined as those who place timberproducts on the EU market for the first time, bear the most responsibility and are required to exercise 'due diligence'.

The traders, those who buy or sell timberproducts already placed on the EU market, are required to keep information for five years about their suppliers and customers to make timber easily traceable.

Legally, the onus is mainly on the operator. However traders should not simply rely on the operator stating on headed paper that they operate a Due Diligence System (DDS) [3] and consequently all timber is EUTR compliant. Traders should seek a copy of the operator's DDS and scratch below the surface, to ensure that the system is actually implemented (for example, checking that there are filled in risk assessments and evidence of legality where risks have been identified).

The forestry industry currently contributes over £4billion to our GDP and employs almost 40,000 people, but forests only cover 13% of the UK compared to 37% of Europe. There would be significant benefits to the nation's health, well-being and economic vitality if more businesses promoted the use of home-grown timber.

Most construction companies are familiar with these third-party certification schemes and feel safe because they have the requirement to buy FSC or PEFC products in their contracts. However they should be encouraged to double check, as sometimes, apparently clear requirements amounts to little more than an ambiguous clause buried in a hundred page contract, and supposedly robust audit and assurance mechanisms are actually inconsistent checks from untrained staff.